Several devices exist for gripping cables or cords, including gland nuts and clamping devices.
Gland nuts utilize gripping elements that can be tightened or loosened around a cable or cord using screwed fasteners (screws or bolts) for adjusting the gripping elements. For example, a gland nut device may include two or three gripping elements located around a circumference of the device and connected to each other by screwed fasteners, such that when the screwed fasteners are adjusted the gripping elements are either pulled toward each other (e.g., to clamp around a cable) or pushed away from each other (e.g., to release a cable). Such gland nut devices are prone to any problems associated with using screwed fasteners, such as screws or bolts, such as the screwed fasteners stripping out upon tightening or loosening. In addition, such gland nut devices require tools for tightening and loosening the gripping elements.
Clamping devices utilize a set of jaws to engage a cable. The jaws squeeze the cable between the jaws to grip the cable in the gripping elements of the jaws. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, oppositely facing jaws 10 are positioned on opposite sides of a cable 11. Flanges 12 are also positioned between the jaws 10, wherein the flanges 12 position the jaws relative to a gland nut (not shown). Each of the jaws 10 has a gripping element 13 for gripping the cable 11. The gripping elements 13 have a radius of curvature, such that the gripping elements 13 are concaved recesses in the jaws 10. As shown in FIG. 1, when the radius of curvature of the circumference of the cable 11 is smaller than the radius of curvature of the gripping elements 13, a single point of contact 14 exits between each gripping element 13 and the cable 11. As shown in FIG. 2A, when the radius of curvature of the circumference of the cable 11 is the same as the radius of curvature of the gripping elements 13, then contact exits across the entirety of each gripping element 13. Of course, contact across the entirety of each gripping element 13 may provide for a more secure grip of the cable 11 by the gripping elements 13 of the jaws 10. However, only one cable diameter “fits” in the gripping elements 13. Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, if the jaws 10 become displaced relative to each other (directions of arrows), then a perfect fit between the cable 11 and the gripping elements 13 of the jaws 10 is lost. In particular, single points of contact 14 then exist between the cable 11 and the gripping elements 13 of the jaws 10.